The Latest on Bill C10

MATTER OF CONFIDENCE? ELECTION-WORTHY? Excerpted from today's Vancouver Sun: (click link for full article)

Senate proposes major changes to film tax bill

Amendments could trigger election if Tories deem them confidence motions

Tobin Dalrymple, Canwest News Service

Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008

On Wednesday, Liberal senators Francis Fox and Wilfred Moore announced amendments that would send the bill back to the House of Commons and, if accepted, would remove the heritage minister's control over who gets tax credits. They argued if the House does not accept the changes, the $5-billion Canadian film and television industry will crumble.

"We will not turn our backs on the people who have come to us and made suggestions," said Fox, who sits on the Senate committee on banking, trade and commerce that reviewed the bill and heard testimony from film industry witnesses, including writers, directors and actors, all of whom expressed outrage at the bill.

"All [the witnesses] agreed Bill C-10, in its current form, would have a devastating impact on the Canadian film industry," said Fox.

Critics of the bill say it has two major problems -- it is a form of government censorship and it poses a risk to the business model of film producers. Supporters remain unconvinced the bill would pose financial risks and say it is not censorship, but rather a good use of taxpayer money.

In reaction to the proposed amendments, the heritage minister and finance minister said opposition parties would have to wait and see if the amendments would be dealt with as confidence motions, said Verner's spokesman, Dominic Gosselin.

"We are looking forward to seeing the amendments," said Gosselin. "First we will see [them], after that we will take action on this."

Generally, the government considers only amendments on fiscal matters or "money bills" as confidence matters. In April, after speaking to the Senate committee, Flaherty said the bill should not be amended.

There are indications the Liberals would be willing to take down the minority government over the amendments. "I am supporting those amendments, the party supports those amendments," said Liberal critic Denis Coderre. "I don't have any problem, personally, to have an election on culture and what kind of Canada you want to live in."

Hold your shoes, kids. There's another couple yet to drop. Because if I read this right, then what I suspect is true. Since the proposals don't actually deal with anything to do with the money provisions of the bill, it doesn't need to be a confidence motion. The Tories will have to deem it so. Which means if they do, then indeed, voting this bill down would trigger an election.

How do the Tories expect to gain votes on an anti culture message? There's no more votes for them to get in the west, and this won't play the same in Quebec or B.C. where they could pick up some. Right now it's still a big game of chicken.With a whole industry in the middle, like that kid with his sleeve caught on the car, as it hurtles over a cliff in Rebel Without a Cause.

Man.